BUSH FOR VOUCHERS; CANDIDATE LAYS SCHOOL-POLICY PLANK.

Byline: Rick Orlov Staff Writer

Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush unveiled his education platform Thursday in Los Angeles, saying federal funds should be taken from the worst schools and given to parents for private education, tutoring or ``whatever works.''

In his first major speech on education as a presidential candidate, the Texas governor decried the nation's public school system as a scandal.

``More and more, we are divided into two nations, separate and unequal. One that reads and one that can't. One that dreams and one that doesn't,'' Bush told about 3,000 Latino business leaders.

``When we spend federal money, we want results,'' Bush said. ``In my administration, federal money will not follow failure.''

Such a plan could cost the Los Angeles Unified School District $167 million in Title I funds that this year are distributed to 472 schools with enrollment of 475,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade.

Although Bush avoided using the word ``voucher,'' the plan he described is strikingly similar to the voucher system in Florida, where his brother Jeb is governor. Florida adopted the first statewide voucher system in the nation.

The issue has repeatedly surfaced in California, where voters rejected a school-vouchers initiative, Proposition 174, in 1993. That campaign was viewed as pitting voters in suburban school districts, where many are satisfied with local schools, against those in inner cities.

``The goal here is to strengthen public schools by expecting performance, to increase the number of schools where children are likely to learn,'' Bush said.

He said he would require poorly performing schools to improve test scores within three years if they receive Title I funds under a federal program that funnels about $7.7 billion yearly into the education of the children of poor parents.

States would set their own standards for determining when a school is failing, Bush said.

He said warnings would be issued for two years to schools that failed to show improvement and rewards to those that did. During the third year, parents could take the school's share of Title I funds, about $1,500 a student, to spend in other ways for their education.

``The money can be used by students for tutoring, for a charter school, for a working public school in a different district, for a private school - for whatever parents choose,'' Bush said. ``For whatever works.''

The speech was billed as the first of three education-policy addresses Bush will make as he seeks to counter national criticism that his campaign has not provided enough specifics.

Beyond his Title I plan, Bush said he would seek to transfer the Head Start program to the Department of Education to stress the original goal of educating preschoolers.

Courting Latino vote

Bush's visit to Los Angeles to speak to the Latin Business Association was purely by design: to counter criticism that he has failed to appear at earlier Latino events in the state.

Bush used Spanish phrases throughout his remarks, and some local officials said he is one of the few GOP candidates who stands a chance of breaking through Latino animosity toward Republicans that developed during former California Gov. Pete Wilson's time in office.

``George Bush understands our community,'' said Hector Barreto, chairman of the Latin Business Association. ``If anyone is going to overcome what we have had in the past, it is George Bush.''

But Delma Avalos, a school board member in Texas, questioned Bush's success in education there.

``There have been some slight improvements, but it's too early to say if they are effective,'' Avalos said. ``He should wait to see if they work in Texas before trying them out nationwide.''

His opponents weigh in

Among his GOP presidential opponents, Ken Blackwell, national chairman of Steve Forbes' campaign, said Bush didn't go far enough.

``I think his program is a bit weak in one particular area: He tells parents to wait three years for real school reform,'' said Blackwell, secretary of state in Ohio, which is experimenting with vouchers. ``I don't believe and neither does Steve Forbes that we can wait three years for real school reform.''

Elizabeth Dole's spokesman, Ari Fleischer, claimed Bush's speech ``was more notable for what was not in it than for what was in it.'' He cited discipline as an example.

Dole favors school vouchers, he said.

Democratic presidential candidate Bill Bradley, campaigning in Ohio, said vouchers are not the answer to the problems of public education. ``I think that there are problems - not the least of which are issues of church and state - and ultimately they will have to be resolved,'' he said.

LAUSD criticism

A leader of the Los Angeles teachers union said Bush's ideas would punish the victims.

``The problem isn't that we're over-investing in poor kids,'' said Day Higuchi of United Teachers Los Angeles. ``Title I has a history of improving the disadvantaged at twice the rate they would otherwise do, even though it hasn't brought them up to standards.''

Higuchi also questioned whether there would be enough private schools to handle voucher students and whether private schools would raise their tuition to keep disadvantaged children out.

``To me, this is a fraud: a bait and switch,'' Higuchi said. ``It also lets them say we've got vouchers and don't need to do any more. It's wiping their hands of the problems of poor kids.''

A national union leader claimed Bush lacks commitment to public education.

``His risky voucher scheme would drain scarce resources from public schools and would not build on the gains that are being made thanks to high standards, smaller class size and better discipline,'' said Sandra Feldman, president of the American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO.

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Photo: (color) Texas Gov. George W. Bush, laying the foundation of his education policies as a candidate for the GOP presidential nomination, speaks to Latino business leaders Thursday at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

David R. Crane/Staff Photographer